Method and apparatus for controlling delivery of filamentary material to rotatable collectors



Nov. 10, 1970 c. R. CUNNINGHAM 3,538,699

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING DELIVERY OF FILAMENTARY MATERIAL 'IO ROTATABLE COLLECTORS Filed Feb. 28, 1969 L .06 /01 fi W4 1% H kw mange;

' INVENTOR. [EX/A A? [wW/w/MM United States Patent O 3,538,699 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING DELIVERY OF FILAMENTARY MATERIAL TO ROTATABLE COLLECTORS Cecil R. Cunningham, Aiken, SC, assignor to Owens- Corning Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 804,054 Int. Cl. D01h 13/10; B65h 59/38 US. C]. 57-90 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In the processing of textile strands or yarns it is conventional practice to apply twist to strands or ply'yarns on a twist frame or twist machine wherein strands or yarns are withdrawn from packages and advanced by feed roll mechanism to collector bobbins mounted upon spindles rotating at high speeds. In the conventional twist frame, a single motor is arranged to rotate the feed rolls and rotate the bobbins and both operations are simultaneously initiated when the drive motor is energized.

In the use of twist frames of conventional character in withdrawing strands or yarns of rubber-coated fibers or filaments of glass from packages by feed rolls for collection on rotating bobbins, the rubber coating is tacky and, during start-up operations of the twist frame, the strands or yarns tend to adhere to and wrap around the feed rolls. This condition causes fracture or break-outs thereby necessitating restarting operations when such breakouts occur. By reason of this condition it is customary for an operator to make a close inspection of each winding station on the twist frame for possible strand or yarn break-outs in order to effect a restart during the initial operation of the twist frame.

The present invention embraces a method of and means for automatically effecting a minute delay in actuating or rotating the feed rolls after the initiation of rotation of the collector bobbins to thereby take up or substantially eliminate the slack in strands or yarns of rubber-coated fibers or filaments between the feed rolls and the collector bobbins and thereby eliminate the tendency for the coated strands or yarns to adhere to and wrap around the feed rolls.

The invention is inclusive of a method of eliminating slack condition of a strand or yarn of rubber-coated fibers or filaments in the region between the feed roll and the collector bobbin during the start-up operation of a twist frame.

The invention embraces electromagnetic clutch means intercalated with the driving means for the feed rolls of a twist frame for operatively establishing a drive for the feed rolls for the strands or yarns brought into operation 3,538,699 Patented Nov. 10, 1970 through a timer means in a minute period of time after initiation of rotation of the collector bobbins to substantially eliminate a slack condition of the strands or yarns in the region between the feed rolls and the collector bobbins during start-up.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this invention such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and drawing of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a textile strand or yarn twisting apparatus or twist frame embodying a form of the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a circuit for initiating rotation of the feed rolls of the twist frame.

While the method and arrangement of the invention are especially usable for processing strands or yarns of rubber-coated glass fibers or filaments, it is to be understood that the method and arrangement may be advantageously employed with other types of strands or yarns where it is desired to eliminate during start-up the slack condition of strands or yarns processed on a twist frame.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a twist frame or twist apparatus 10 for processing textile strands or yarns particularly for transferring strands or yarns from packages onto rotating bobbins. The twist frame or apparatus is inclusive of a frame comprising spaced end structures or housings 12, one at each end of the frame, a portion of one of the end housings being shown in FIG. 1. The end housings 12 are connected by rigid bolster rails 14, one of which is shown in FIG. 1, and by a supply package mounting structure 16 and other frame members (not shown).

The package mounting structure 16 is equipped with package supports or mandrels (not shown) each arranged to support a supply package 20 of strand or yarn 22 of glass filaments coated or impregnated with a nonmetallic material such as rubber or rubber-like material. A bolster rail 14 is disposed at each side of the frame, each bolster rail supporting a spindle mounting unit 24. Each spindle mounting unit includes a stationary blade 26' on which is mounted a rotatable spindle provided at its lower end with a whorl 38 adapted to be engaged by an endless driving belt or tape 56 for rotating all of the bobbinsupporting spindles.

Idler rolls 58 are disposed adjacent the driving belt or tape 56 and each of the whorls 38, the idler rolls being arranged for relative pivotal movement by conventional means (not shown) for moving the drive belt toward or away from an individual spindle for interrupting the drive to a particular spindle if desired. Each of the spindles is adapted to telescopingly receive a bobbin or collector 50 upon which the strand or yarn 22 is adapted to be wound or collected.

The spindle driving belt 56 extends lengthwise of the apparatus and is engaged with a drive pulley 62 mounted upon a shaft 64 driven by an electrically energizable motor 66 through power transmission mechanism or gearing of conventional construction contained within. a housing 68 associated with the motor 66. The motor 66 is mounted upon a supplemental frame or pedestal 70 adjacent one end of the twist apparatus.

The twist frame or apparatus includes conventional longitudinally-extending ring rails 72, one at each side of the frame, the ring rails being arranged to be reciprocated in a vertical direction by conventional cam means (not shown) driven by the motor 66, one of the ring rails being shown disposed in parallel relation with an adjacent bolster rail 14. Each of the ring rails 72 is provided with circular openings 74 to accommodate the spindles and bobbins driven thereby, each circular opening being defined by a circular track 76 mounting a traveller or fiyer 77 which is freely rotatable about the spindle and bobbin. The strand or yarn 22 is threaded through the fiyer 77 in the conventional manner.

The twist apparatus includes feed roll units 80 of conventional character, there being a feed roll unit individual to each strand or yarn 22, each unit including a pair of feed rolls 79 for feeding the strand or yarn from an adjacent package at a speed at which the strand or yarn is to be wound upon a bobbin. The strand or yarn feed rolls 79 of each of the units 80 is driven from a shaft 82 at each side of the frame, the shafts 82 being rotated by belts 83 engaging sheaves 84 on the shafts 82 and engaging sheaves 85 on the output shafts 86 of power transmission mechanism or gearing of conventional character enclosed in a housing 87 and driven by mechanism in the housing 68 through sheaves 88 and 89 and a drive belt 90 engaging the sheaves. Each of the individual feed roll units 80 is equipped with a lever 91 which may be manipulated to interrupt the feeding of a strand or yarn in the event of breakage.

It has been found that in transferring strands or yarns of fibers or filaments, particularly fibers or filaments of glass, coated with nonmetallic material, such as rubber or rubber-like materials, from supply packages onto rotating bobbins, that the rubber or rubber-like coating on the fibers or filaments is usually in a slightly tacky condition and tends to lick or adhere to the feed rolls, causing the strands or yarns to wrap around the feed rolls during start-up, resulting in strand or yarn break-ups. The tendency for the strands or yarns to warp around the feed rolls is further increased because of lack of tension in the strands or yarns at the region between the feed rolls and the collector bobbins at the time of start-up of twist operations.

The present arrangement is inclusive of clutch means in a power transmission arrangement between the motor 66 and the feed roll drive shafts 82 for establishing a drive connection for the feed rolls after initiation of rotation of the collector bobbins. The arrangement illustrated includes an electromagnetic clutch means 92 in the power transmission drive between the motor 66 and the shafts 82 driving the feed rolls 79, the magnetic clutch means being associated with a time delay means or circuit whereby the feed rolls 79 of the feed roll units 80 are caused to rotate after initiation of rotation of the bobbinsupporting spindles by the motor 66.

In the arrangement shown, the magnetic clutch mechanism 92 is connected with an output shaft of the transmission gearing contained within the housing 68 and with the sheave 88 which drives the feed rolls through the medium of the belt 90, When the coil of the magnetic clutch mechanism 92 is energized, the clutch is actuated to establish a drive from the motor 66 to the sheave 88.

In order to take up the slack strand or yarn between the feed rolls 79 and the collector bobbins 50 at start-up, rotation of the feed rolls 79 of the units 80 is delayed for an extremely short period of time after the motor 66 is energized and rotation of the bobbins on the spindles has begun. During this period, the slack strand or yarn is taken up by the rotating bobbins and a slight tension exerted on the strand or yarn, preventing the strand or yarn from wrapping around the feed rolls 79.

A control circuit for the magnetic clutch and the time delay means for delaying rotation of the feed rolls is illustrated in FIG. 2. The motor 66 is energized from a three phase alternating current supply L1, L2 and L3, for example, of a voltage of 480 volts, through a solenoid-operated starting switch 96. The current for the time delay and magnetic clutch arrangement is direct current (DC) supplied from a rectifier (not shown) through current supply lines L4 and L5. The direct current may be of any suitable voltage, for example, volts.

The electromagnetic clutch means 92 is of conventional character such as made by Warner Electric Brake and Clutch 00., Model EC-475. The time delay mechanism may be of any suitable type as, for example, a solid state switching arrangement activated from the DC current supply. Other conventional timer means may be employed such as a vacuum tube timer, a capacitance timer, an electromagnetic timer, mechanical ratchet timer or a mechanical switch timer.

The function of the timing mechanism is for establishing a minute period of delay after the motor 66 is energized until the magnetic clutch 92 is actuated to initiate rotation of the feed rolls. The circuit of the magnetic clutch includes a conductor 101 from one side of the DC supply line to a manual starting switch 102 which may be of the push button type, an emergency stop switch 104, a package timer 106 and a starter coil 108 for the switch 96 for starting the motor 66. A conductor 110 of the supply circuit is connected with the time delay means 100 and with the starter coil 108.

A conductor 111 from the package timer is connected with the time delay mechanism 100. The output conductors 114 and 115 from the time delay means 100 are connected with the coil (not shown) of the magnetic clutch 92 for connecting the clutch with the sheave 88 when the timer 100 times out. A holding coil 116 is provided for the normally open relay contact 118 bridging the contacts of the manually operated switch 102, the coil 116 being shunted across the starting coil 108 and functioning to hold the contact 118 in closed position.

The time delay means is of a character for delaying closing of the circuit to the magnetic clutch a short period of time, usually a fraction of a second. The time delay means may be adjusted to delay the actuation of the magnetic clutch 92 from one-tenth of a second upwards of two seconds or more. It has been found that a time delay between the starting of the motor 66 and the actuation of the clutch 92 to a driving position of about one-half second is usually sufiicient to take up the slack strand or yarn. As the spindles carrying the collecting bobbins are rapidly accelerated when the motor 66 is energized, the slack strand or yarn is rapidly taken up.

The operation of the arrangement in carrying out the method of the invention is as follows: The operator manually winds a few turns of the supply strand or yarn on a bobbin 50, places the bobbin on a spindle and threads the strand or yarn through the adjacent flyer 77. These operations are repeated in disposing bobbins on all of the spindles 26. The operator then closes the push button switch 102 which establishes an energizing circuit through the starting coil 108 to close the switch 96 energizing the motor 66.

The holding coil 116 is simultaneously energized to hold the contacts 118 in closed position to maintain the circuit when the operator releasespressure on the push button switch 102. The closing of the switch 102 completes a circuit of the DC current to the timer or time delay means 100. The means 100, in a short period of time preferably about one-half second, times out establishing a circuit through conductors 114 and 115 to energize the coil of the magnetic clutch 92 and efliect a drive connection of the clutch with the sheave 88 to thereby initiate rotation of the feed rolls 79 for advancing the strand or yarn to the bobbins.

The initial rotation of the bobbins 50 takes up the slack and imparts a slight tension on the strands or yarns by rotation of the bobbins and the flyers 77, then rotation of the feed rolls is initiated without tendency for the strands or yarns of rubber-coated fibers or filaments to wrap around the feed rolls.

Through this method, strand or yarn break-outs during start-up operations are substantially eliminated. When the bobbins are filled with a predetermined amount of strand or yarn, the package timer 106 times out, deenergizing the starting coil 108 to open the switch 96 to the motor 66, deenergizing the holding coil 116 to open contact 118, and deenergizing the coil of the magnetic clutch 92 to interrupt the drive to the feed rolls. The operator then removes the filled bobbins from the spindles and the operations are repeated after empty bobbins 50 are again placed on the spindles.

It is apparent that, within the scope of the invention, modifications and different arrangements may be made other than as herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending all variations thereof.

I claim:

1. The method of transferring bundles of fibers from supplies onto rotatable collectors including engaging the bundles of fibers with rotatable feed surfaces and with the collectors, initiating rotation of the collectors to wind the bundles of fibers on the collectors, and initiating rotation of the feed surfaces after rotation of the collectors takes up sufficient slack in the bundles of fibers between the collectors and the feed surfaces to prevent wrapping of the bundles of fibers onto the feed surfaces.

2. The method of transferring filamentary materials from supply packages onto rotatable collectors including engaging the filamentary materials with rotatable feed surfaces and the collectors, initiating rotation of the collectors to wind the filamentary materials on the collectors, and delaying initiation of rotation of the feed surfaces after initiating rotation of the collectors for a period of time suflicient to take up the slack in the filamentary materials between the collectors and the feed surfaces.

3. The method of initiating start-up of apparatus for transferring linear bundles of rubber-coated fibers from supply packages onto rotatable collectors including engaging each of the bundles with an individual rotatable feed surface and a collector, initiating rotation of the collectors to wind the bundles of fibers on the collectors, and delaying initiation of rotation of the feed surfaces for a time period sufficient for the rotating collectors to take up the slack in the bundles of fibers and establish tension in the bundles of fibers between the rotating collectors and the feed surfaces.

4. The method of initiating start-up of apparatus for transferring filamentary materials from supply packages onto rotatable collectors including engaging the filamen tary materials with rotatable feed surfaces and the collectors, initiating rotation of the collectors to wind the filamentary materials on the collectors, and initiating rotation of the feed surfaces within a time range of onetenth of a second to two seconds after initiation of rotation of the collectors.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the filamentary materials comprise bundles of rubber-coated filaments of glass.

6. The method of initiating start-up of apparatus for transferring linear material from supply packages onto rotatable collectors including engaging the linear materials with rotatable feed surfaces and the collectors, initiating rotation of the collectors to wind the linear materials on the collectors, and initiating rotation of the feed surfaces in about one-half second after initiating rotation of the collectors.

7. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, support means, a plurality of rotatable spindles mounted by the support means, each spindle adapted to mount a bobbin, feed roll means for each bobbin, a motor, means for driving said spindles and bobbins from said motor, actuable means for initiating rotation of said feed rolls from the motor, said means being actuable after initiation 6 of rotation of the spindles and bobbins for initiating rotation of the feed rolls.

8. Apparatus for transferring linear bundles of rubbercoated fibers from supply packages onto rotatable collector bobbins including, in combination, support means mounting the collector bobbins, a motor, means establishing a drive from the motor for rotating the bobbins upon which the bundles of fibers are to be wound, a traveler arranged for rotational movement around each of the bobbins and engaged with a bundle of fibers, feed roll means individual to each bobbin for feeding a bundle of fibers from a supply to the adjacent bobbin, means for establishing a drive connection from said motor for rotating the feed roll means, and means actuating the drive connection establishing means after initiation of rotation of the bobbins for initiating rotation of the feed roll means.

9. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a frame, means on said frame supporting packages of bundles of fibers, a plurality of rotatable spindles, means carried by said frame mounting the spindles, each spindle adapted to support a bobbin upon which a bundle of fibers is to be collected, feed roll means individual to each bobbin engaging a bundle of fibers, motive means for rotating said spindles and bobbins, means associated with the motive means for establishing a drive to said feed roll means, and means actuable after initiation of rotation of the spindles and bobbins establishing the drive for rotating the feed roll means.

10. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, support means, a plurality of rotatable spindles mounted by the support means, each spindle adapted to mount a bobbin, feed roll means individual to each bobbin, a motor, means for driving said spindles and bobbins from said motor, power transmission means for driving said feed'rolls from the motor, said power transmission means including clutch means in normally disengaged position, and means actuable after initiation of rotation of the spindle and bobbins for actuating the clutch means to establish a drive from the motor to the feed rolls.

11. The combination according to claim 10 wherein the clutch means is an electromagnetic clutch.

12. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a twist frame, a plurality of rotatable spindles mounted by the twist frame, each spindle adapted to mount a bobbin, feed roll means individual to each bobbin, a motor, means for driving said spindles and bobbins from said motor, power transmission mechanism for driving said feed rolls from the motor, said power transmission mechanism including an electromagnetic clutch in normally disengaged position, and timer means operable to energize said electromagnetic clutch means after initiation of rotation of the spindles and bobbins to initiate rotation of the feed rolls through the power transmission mechanism.

13. The combination according to claim 12 wherein the timer means is electrically controlled.

14. Apparatus for transferring linear bundles of rubberimpregnated fibers from supply packages onto bobbins including, in combination, a motor for rotating the bobbins on which the bundles are to be wound, a traveler arranged for rotational movement around each bobbin and engaged with a bundle of fibers, feed roll meansfor feeding the bundles of fibers from the supply packages to the bobbins, power transmission means for rotating said feed roll means by said motor, said power transmission means including clutch means, timer means for controlling said clutch means, said timer means being arranged to delay actuation of said clutch means for initiating rotation of the feed roll means for a short period of time after said motor is energized whereby the rotating bobbins take up the slack in the bundles of fibers at the region between the bobbin and the feed roll means.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the timer means is arranged to delay actuation of the clutch means 7 8 in a time range of one-tenth second to two seconds after 3,141,287 7/1964 Bourgeas 57-82 X said motor is energized. 3,153,312 10/1964 Bushey 5783 X 1 3,385,044 5/1968 Anderson et a1 5783 X References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 DONALD E. WATKINS, Primary Examiner 2,952,115 9/1960 Brornley 5790X 5 CL 3,003,303 10/1961 Wright 57'-88 X 57 7 5 3,099,126 7/1963 Laureti 57-90 X 

